Understanding problem gambling
Compulsive gambling a "silent epidemic"
Published : Friday, 01 Jun 2012
AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) - Experts are calling compulsive gambling a "silent epidemic."
Governor [Slot Barns] Patrick signed the casino bill into law last November. And as the gaming commission prepares to choose who will build casinos in Massachusetts, there's a growing fear the state may not be ready to deal with some of the negative aspects of recreational gambling.
And that’s because people who treat addicts say compulsive gambling is known as the invisible addiction.
“When a person is losing they become very anxious and they become very depressed. If they win, they experience the anxiety through the euphoria and they'll chase that,” said Jaime Maldonado, director of Gandara Center , an addiction treatment facility in Springfield.
And one 55-year-old woman from Boston, who spoke to 22News on conditions of anonymity, chased that rush for three years.
“I had lost probably over 700,000 dollars, cleaned out every bank account I could get a hand on including the ones that didn't belong to me, [I was] about to lose my house, about to be bankrupt, [I] lost my marriage,” said the now recovering gaming addict.
Today marked fours years since she's gambled. She joined other recovering addicts and clinicians at a symposium in Amherst. The conference, sponsored by the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling , looked to raise awareness on the problems related to this impulsive disease.
Pathological and sub-clinical pathological rates vary depending on the state and population.
According to the council, in Massachusetts, between 85,000 and 185,000 Massachusetts residents likely have experienced disordered gambling during their lifetime.
These rates closely mirror those of opioid and cocaine use.
Although a 24-hour helpline for pathological gamblers is always available, the council says one of its biggest problems is the number of places people can actually go to for help. In the Pioneer Valley, the Gandara Center is the only treatment center around.
“I always struggle with the calls that come in from western Massachusetts because we only have Gandara to send them to; and while they are a great resource, they are just starting to get up off the ground,” said the executive director of the council, Marlene Warner.
On Friday, Warner hosted dozens of treatment providers, whose training is rooted in substance abuse, in an effort to expand their clinical expertise. “Certainly a lot of people have the skills they need to deal with gambling in their population, but there are also some differences. There’s differences around money issues, the bailouts, the bankruptcy,” said Warner at the UMass Marriot Center.
Warner told 22News there are provisions in the gaming bill aimed at addressing problem gambling. At least $5 million in funds are to be devoted to compulsive gambling services, and five percent of all gaming revenue will be dedicated to compulsive gambling programs and other social ills.
http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampshire/understanding-problem-gambling
Governor [Slot Barns] Patrick signed the casino bill into law last November. And as the gaming commission prepares to choose who will build casinos in Massachusetts, there's a growing fear the state may not be ready to deal with some of the negative aspects of recreational gambling.
And that’s because people who treat addicts say compulsive gambling is known as the invisible addiction.
“When a person is losing they become very anxious and they become very depressed. If they win, they experience the anxiety through the euphoria and they'll chase that,” said Jaime Maldonado, director of Gandara Center , an addiction treatment facility in Springfield.
And one 55-year-old woman from Boston, who spoke to 22News on conditions of anonymity, chased that rush for three years.
“I had lost probably over 700,000 dollars, cleaned out every bank account I could get a hand on including the ones that didn't belong to me, [I was] about to lose my house, about to be bankrupt, [I] lost my marriage,” said the now recovering gaming addict.
Today marked fours years since she's gambled. She joined other recovering addicts and clinicians at a symposium in Amherst. The conference, sponsored by the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling , looked to raise awareness on the problems related to this impulsive disease.
Pathological and sub-clinical pathological rates vary depending on the state and population.
According to the council, in Massachusetts, between 85,000 and 185,000 Massachusetts residents likely have experienced disordered gambling during their lifetime.
These rates closely mirror those of opioid and cocaine use.
Although a 24-hour helpline for pathological gamblers is always available, the council says one of its biggest problems is the number of places people can actually go to for help. In the Pioneer Valley, the Gandara Center is the only treatment center around.
“I always struggle with the calls that come in from western Massachusetts because we only have Gandara to send them to; and while they are a great resource, they are just starting to get up off the ground,” said the executive director of the council, Marlene Warner.
On Friday, Warner hosted dozens of treatment providers, whose training is rooted in substance abuse, in an effort to expand their clinical expertise. “Certainly a lot of people have the skills they need to deal with gambling in their population, but there are also some differences. There’s differences around money issues, the bailouts, the bankruptcy,” said Warner at the UMass Marriot Center.
Warner told 22News there are provisions in the gaming bill aimed at addressing problem gambling. At least $5 million in funds are to be devoted to compulsive gambling services, and five percent of all gaming revenue will be dedicated to compulsive gambling programs and other social ills.
http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampshire/understanding-problem-gambling
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